Rampal power plant expected to go in operation in December

Bangladesh and Indian officials on Wednesday said they expect to commission the first unit of joint-venture 1320MW Rampal Power Plant in December this year as scheduled overcoming the Covid-19 hurdles.

"We expect the first unit of the plant to go on operation in December this year as per schedule. .. we are confident to meet the timeline," a Bangladesh power division official told BSS, a day after power secretaries of the two countries held a virtual meeting.

He said the first unit was designed to produce 660MW power while December 2021 was set to launch it coinciding with the golden jubilee celebrations of Bangladesh's 1971 independence with crucial Indian support.

His comments came a day after Bangladesh's power secretary Md Habibur Rahman held an online meeting with his counterpart Alok Kumar on 1320MW Maitree Power project while the cross-country conference was joined concerned ministries and agencies of the two countries.

India's power ministry later in a statement said the two officials discussed and identified some "certain critical issues" for addressing to timely commissioning of the coal-fired thermal plant, called to be an ultra-super one in terms of technology and efficiency to protect the environment.

Indian experts are constructing the plant in Bangladesh under a power-sharing agreement between Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Bangladesh India Friendship Power Company Limited (BIFPCL).

“We are providing necessary support for completion of the project in time,” Bangladesh's power division official said.

The Indian statement said the second unit of the plant was expected to be commissioned matching with the implementation of associated transmission system.

"Since March 2020, the Covid situation exposed the people of both the countries to a new challenge along with affecting the implementation of the Maitree project. Now both sides are putting the best effort to complete the project in time," it read.